Separator and warning system therefor



A ril 19, 1966 I J. s MARTIN 3, 46,7

I SEPARATOR AND WARNING SYSTEM THEREFOR Filed Jan. 50, 1962 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 0 I Fla; 1

' INVENTOR JOHN S. MARTIN Mia,

ATTORNEY April 19, 1966 J. s. MARTlN 3,246,757

SEPARATOR AND WARNING SYSTEM THEREFOR Filed Jan. 30, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JOHN 5. MAR TW ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,246,757 SEPARATOR AND WARNING SYSTEM THEREFOR John S. Martin, 512 Hodges Lane, Severna Park, Md. Filed Jan. 30, 1962, Ser. No. 169,859 2 Claims. (61. 210-86) This invention relates to a liquid separation device, and more paricularly, it pertains to a system for preventing overload of gravity oil separators.

One of the major problems facing industries and urban development today is pollution of rivers and streams from industrial wastes and, in particular, oil waste. Various ordinances and statutes have been enacted to prevent dumping of oil and wastes into rivers and stream-s, killing fish and other wild life, rendering the water unsuitable for domestic uses and destroying the beauty of natural waterways. Enormous amounts of money have been expended by industries and Government in an effort to prevent oil from industrial plants, refineries, ships, etc., from seeping into waterways.

One of the more serious areas concerned with the invention is the pollution of waterways and fire hazards arising from oils escaping or leaking from vessels being fueled or bilged and tanks of ships that are being cleaned. In both situations, the bilage or tanks of the ships being refueled or being cleaned are connected to the shore by pipes or hoses. In the case of a ship being refueled, the ship tanks are often allowed due usually to carelessness or improperly functioning pumping systems to overflow into the bilges of the ship or into the waterways. In general, contents of the bilge of the ship are pumped to oil recovery tanks ashore where the oil content is separated from the bilage water, the water being allowed to flow back into the waterway and the oil reprocessed for use. Heretofore it has been substantially impossible, without great expenditures of money and complicated, difficult to maintain equipment, to effect complete separation of the oil from the water returned to the waterways.

Many solutions have been suggested for the problem, e.g., float switches, however, none of the known devices. have been successful in preventing oil pollution mainly because oil separating processes are quite sensitive to liquid levels. Known devices usually require manual control and monitoring.

An object of the invention is a device for separating immiscible liquids of different densities and preventing the overflow of said liquids.

In accordance with this invention, an anti-pollution device, warning and cut-off system is provided which is automatic in operation to the end that oil pollution of waterways is substantially, completely prevented.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an anti-pollution warning system comprising an electro mechanical device providing visual and/or aural warning that tanks, trays, and other containers associated with cleaning and fueling systems of ships and industrial plants are about to overflow.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of a system for automatic monitoring and controlling the operation of gravity oil separation tanks.

Another object of this invention is to provide simultaneously audible and visual warning of the automatic cut-ofl of inflow to oil separation processing tanks due to overload.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of a contamination-proof electrical signaling float which is simple in construction and may be manufactured economically.

These and other advantages of the invention will become apparent and, for a clearer understanding, reference is now made to the attached drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of

a float operated valve and electric warning apparatus therefor; and

FIGURE 2 is a schematic diagram of a typical oil recovery system employing the float operated valve and electric warning apparatus of FIGURE 1.

Referring now to the details of the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1 generally designated by reference numeral 10 the novel float operated valve and warning system of this invention. The system 10 comprises a pressure link assembly means 12, a hollow flat metallic float means 14, electric switch means 18 and a valve means 16. Electric switch means 18 is connected to a suitable source of electricity (not shown) and to a bell 20 and warning 22.

Float means 14 is attached to a lever 28 which is pivotally attached intermediate its ends to a pivot arm 24 depending from the pressure link assembly means 12. Pressure link assembly 12 is provided with a bifurcated guide arm 26 in which the lever 28 can rise and fall.

A pressure link 30 which is attached to a long vertical pressure rod 32 is located between the pivot arms 24 and 26 respectively, and it is urged downwardly against the lever 28 by a compression coil spring 34 which is adjacent to the switch 18.

Switch 18 is mounted in a fluid tight housing or switch box 36 which is attached distantly to the pressure link assembly 12 by means of a tube housing means 38 in which the pressure rod 32 reciprocates. Tube housing 38 and switch box 36 may for manufacturing simplicity form a unitary structure. Support means 40 are provided for rigidly mounting the system 10 to a wall, tank structure, or other convenient location, on which the bell 20 and switch box 36 may also be conveniently mounted.

An actuator rod 42, pivotally attached to the lever 28 at its end remote from the float 14, extends to the valve 16. When the float 14 is buoyed upwardly by a rising liquid level, the lever 28 pivots on the arm 24 and represses the actuator rod 42 downwardly to shut off valve 16.

At the same time, the pressure link 30 is raised upwardly pushing the pressure rod 32 upwardly within the tubing 38. As a result, the switch 18 is caused to close, completing the electrical circuit from the source of electricity to sound the bell 20 and signal light 22 glows.

In the system shown in FIG. 2, there is illustrated a tank of a ship which is being cleansed of oil residue using hot water or steam. The resulting oil emulsion is pumped from the ship to the shore where a gross separation of oil and oil emulsion takes place in a large shore slop tank 52. The partially processed water and oil emulsion is piped thence to a shallow gravity separator tank 54.

In both cases, the oil content rises to the surface and is recovered under suction for further use by skimmers 56 and 58. The separation process in the gravity separator tank 54 employs a baflie plate 66 which acts as a dividing barrier between the oil and the clear water. The level of the liquid in this tank 54 must be carefully maintained between limits predetermined by the height and position of this baffle plate 60.

If the water and oil emplsion is taken in at too great a rate for the processing, or the oil is not skimmed rapidly enough, oil will pass over or under the baifle plate 60 and mingle with the clear water being discharged. However, with the warning system 10 attached to the tank 54 and its intake line, it is possible to adjust the float 14 to rise under the conditions mentioned and cut off the flow before contamination of the clear water occurs. At the same time, personnel are warned of the abnormal condition by the sounding of bell 2d and glow of light 22 so that remedial measures may be taken.

It will occur to those skilled in the art that the warning system 10 may be employed without the value 16 in conjunction with the bunkering of fuel tanks 50 of ships and the like. The topping off of such tanks 50 is often miscalculated and the resulting spillage can be avoided where warning of impending overflow is given by the bell 20 and lamp 22.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. A system for separation of substantially immiscible liquids of different densities and preventing overflow of said liquids, comprising; a container for receiving a mixture of said liquids, an inlet for introducing said mixture into the container, at float in said container having a lever associated therewith, means for pivoting said lever intermediate its ends, electrical circuit means including an indicating device operatively connected with said lever by a pressure rod, means including a spring element urging said rod away from said indicating device, valve means in said container inlet, linkage means coupled to said valve and lever being constructed and arranged whereby movement of said float to a predetermined position caused by the change in level of the liquid mixture in said container simultaneously closes said valve in said inlet and urges said pressure rod toward said indicating device thereby actuating said device; suction means for skimming off the liquid of least density from said container, and outlet means at the bottom of said container for removing the fluid of greater density.

2. The system of claim 1 which includes baflle means in said tank for effecting separation of said liquids of different densities.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 123,663 2/1872 Anderson 210-540 912,970 2/ 1909 Marsh 200-84 1,083,315 1/1914 Yetman 137-558 X 1,167,776 1/1916 Minekime 137-558 X 1,458,663 6/1923 Morley 116-110 1,635,414 7/1927 Hirst 137-558 X 2,370,099 2/ 1945 Werder 73-313 2,585,878 2/1952 Tryon 210-540 FOREIGN PATENTS 986,405 3/1951 France.

REUBEN FRIEDMAN, Primary Examiner.

HERBERT L. MARTIN, Examiner. 

1. A SYSTEM FOR SEPARATION OF SUBSTANTIALLY IMMISCIBLE LIQUIDS OF DIFFERENT DENSITIES AND PREVENTING OVERFLOW OF SAID LIQUIDS, COMPRISING; A CONTAINER FOR RECEIVING A MIXTURE OF SAID LIQUIDS, AN INLET FOR INTRODUCING SAID MIXTURE INTO THE CONTAINER, A FLOAT IN SAID CONTAINER HAVING A LEVER ASSOCIATED THEREWITH, MEANS FOR PIVOTING SAID LEVER INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS, ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT MEANS INCLUDING AN INDICATING DEVICE OPERATIVELY CONNECTED WITH SAID LEVER BY A PRESSURE ROD, MEANS INCLUDING A SPRING ELEMENT URGING SAID ROD AWAY FROM SAID INDICATING DEVICE, VALVE MEANS IN SAID CONTAINER INLET, LINKAGE MEANS COUPLED TO SAID VALVE AND LEVER BEING CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED WHEREBY MOVEMENT OF SAID FLOAT TO A PREDETERMINED POSITION CAUSED BY THE CHANGE IN LEVEL OF THE LIQUID MIXTURE IN SAID CONTAINER SIMULTANEOUSLY CLOSES SAID VALVE IN SAID INLET AND URGES SAID PRESSURE ROD TOWARD SAID INDICATING DEVICE THEREBY ACTUATING SAID DEVICE; SUCTION MEANS FOR SKIMMING OFF THE LIQUID OF LEAST DENSITY FROM SAID CONTAINER, AND OUTLET MEANS AT THE BOTTOM OF SAID CONTAINER FOR REMOVING THE FLUID OF GREATER DENSITY. 